Rackspace Email Price Hike Sparks Customer Outrage and Urgent Migrations

**Rackspace Technology** is a global **multicloud solutions provider** that has evolved from a small hosting startup into a $2.4 billion company serving over 140,000 customers across 120+ countries[5]. ## History and Evolution Founded in 1998 by Richard Yoo, Dirk Elmendorf, and Patrick Condon—three Trinity University classmates—Rackspace began as Cymitar Technology Group, offering internet access from a garage in San Antonio, Texas[2]. Graham Weston joined as CEO and provided seed capital, helping establish the company's early direction[2]. The company pioneered the **managed hosting industry** by differentiating itself through exceptional customer service, branded as "Fanatical Support®," offering 24/7 access to specialized engineers[4]. ## Strategic Pivots and Growth Rackspace went public in 2008 on the NYSE, raising $187.5 million[1]. However, the company faced significant challenges as cloud giants like AWS emerged. In 2010, Rackspace partnered with NASA to develop **OpenStack**, an open-source cloud platform that became foundational to its strategy[3]. Recognizing the market shift, the company pivoted from pure hosting to managed cloud services, helping customers navigate multiple cloud platforms[4]. In 2016, Apollo Global Management acquired Rackspace for $4.3 billion, taking it private to enable long-term strategic flexibility[3]. The company subsequently made strategic acquisitions—including Onica (2019), Just Analytics (2022), and others—to expand its capabilities in cloud consulting, data analytics, and AI services[3]. ## Current Position Rackspace went public again in August 2020 on Nasdaq under ticker RXT[2]. Today, it employs over

**PolarisMail** is a Montreal, Canada-based email hosting provider specializing in secure, ad-free communication solutions for individuals, businesses, and organizations, including email, calendars, contacts, file sharing, and real-time collaboration tools.[1][2][3] Founded around 2008, PolarisMail has amassed over 15 years of expertise in enterprise communication, operating from its headquarters at 1959 Guy Bouchard, Lasalle, Quebec, with a small team of under 25 employees and annual revenue of about $5.5 million.[1][2][5] The company emphasizes a dedicated infrastructure focused solely on email services, guaranteeing 99.9% uptime and premium access to major internet backbones near the U.S. border.[3][6] Key offerings include custom domain emails starting at $1.49/month (25GB storage per Basic mailbox), advanced spam/virus filtering, 30-day archives, IMAP/SMTP/webmail access, Outlook compatibility, mobile sync, aliases, forwards, and hybrid mailbox tiers (Basic, Enhanced, OEX) for flexible scaling.[1][4][5][6] Notable innovations enhance productivity: an integrated privacy-first AI assistant for drafting/summarizing emails (user-provided API key), in-webmail video calls, chat via Zulip, appointment scheduling, and real-time document co-editing—keeping teams centralized without app-switching.[6][9] Free 30-day trials, migration support, and WHMCS integration for resellers streamline adoption, while strong privacy policies avoid data monetization, appealing to those ditching Gmail/Outlook amid deliverability issues.[4][5][6] Achievements include reliable delivery (no missed messages), selection by platforms like MemberSplash for stable, isolated infrastructure reducing blacklisting risks, and growing market presence as a niche email server provider.[4][8][9] Currently thriving with modern features like newsletter/survey tools and free website hosting, Po